Trump victory – Windfall for CIP?

The Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP) in Saint Lucia and other OECS countries could benefit from Donald Trump’s victory at the polls in the United States, it has been suggested.

The citizenship advisory firm, Henley and Partners, has been quoted in the Antigua Observer as saying that in the hours since Trump was confirmed as President of the United States, there has been a sharp increase in Americans inquiring about alternative residence and citizenship programmes.

“Such spikes happen when citizens become uncertain about the future of their country. They seek safer options for their families,” Henley and Partners said.

There have been reports that following Donald Trump’s victory, Canada’s immigration website had gone down as a spike in visitors burdened the website’s servers.

Citing those reports, OECS Director General, Doctor Didacus Jules said yesterday it seems that there are a lot of people who are making the determination that they should probably move out of the US..

Jules suggested that the Trump Presidency could provide a ‘special opportunity’ for countries in the sub-region with CIP arrangements.

“Sometimes in what appears to be a crisis there are opportunities and we need to find those opportunities,” the OECS official explained.

He said offering citizenship can be a real boost to CIP programmes.

Henley & Partners believes that other events such as Brexit were “having a significant impact on the interest by wealthy individuals and families in alternative residence and citizenship”.

Calvin

Trump’s victory presents our nation with the opportunity to do some reaaly great things that both our OECS neighbours and continental trading partners can talk about, it really can be a truly wonderful thing.

As it is right now, St. Lucia has a thriving undergound economy in money laundering from Syria and transhipment of assorted narcotics from TT, Venezuela, and other points of departure and transfer. Depending, maybe it gets bashed here before being moved up or across the pond.

Bring on CIP. St. Kitts could use a Caribbean competitor to the two U.S. wite folk that competed on behalf of St. Kitts in the alpine skiing events at the sochi winter Olympics.

Unfortunately, FDI (foreign direct investment) in our nation has been, very sadly, flagging. FDI wants a return on investement and not be associated with a society known for crime, lack of education, and unemployment. FDI considering SVG or Grenada versus SLU — look at the numbers, it is no longer coming to SLU.